Lifelong Learners…
There is an old adage often attributed to Albert Einstein, “Once you stop learning, you start dying”. We all know that in reality we are all constantly moving closer to death whether we are learning or not, but there is a truth in this old adage that holds true. It is ingrained into the fabric of our humanity, a need for learning, a desire to understand the world around us, and an innate curiosity that drives us. It has been present since Adam and will be present to the end of days.
Curiosity, a desire to learn and understand is a gift given to us by God. It can be seen in the opening chapters of Genesis as Adam and Eve’s curiosity is twisted and perverted by the serpent until it turns into something it should not be. But the root of this temptation was the good gift of curiosity that God had given them being used against them. In the same way, curiosity is imbued in all of us and from the day we are born can either be quenched or fostered. Sometimes the environments we are raised in naturally support or hinder this natural gift. Other times people resign, feeling defeated that every time they learn something it only brings more, deeper questions. So instead they choose to escape. Shut down the curiosity entirely and allow distractions to entertain their minds rather than learning.
In our neighborhood, I have noticed that curiosity is not always naturally encouraged. Understandably so, because as kids get older the questions to their parents get harder to answer, “why does my life look like this and not what I see online” or “why does our neighborhood look like this”. Questions whose answers are the culmination of decisions over generations, thousands of years if you really want to track it all the way back. But this is an attitude that has to be changed and a mentality that needs to be encouraged in our students. It is the reason why part of Mighty Oak Academy’s mission is to create Lifelong Learners. Learners who never lose the childlike wonder and curiosity that is given to us when we are born. Learners who lean into the big, difficult questions and who understand that their education is really just giving them tools to learn better as they go throughout their lives in the world.
If we can encourage this curiosity in our students and help them to understand how rewarding it is when you can go through life learning, then maybe we can help break some of the generational curses that plague our neighborhood. Because life is more rewarding when you take time to learn, learn in your relationships, in your faith, in your jobs, hobbies, families, learning from everything and everyone around us. It makes us feel good because it quenches a thirst that God created for us to have, a thirst that we will seek to quench and no matter what stream in life we follow to find what will finally fulfill it always leads us back to Him. We hope to foster this thirst in our students and give them the tools they need in their journey. We hope to create lifelong learners that will help grow the curiosity of the next generation as well.
Ethan Essex
Merriment Moving!!!
Merriment will be closed for the time being while we move to the Saint Cecilia Campus. If you would still like to make a donation, please call (502) 930-9006 to arrange a time to drop off.
Fish Fry Closed!!!
The Fish Fry is closed today for the 4th!! See you next Friday.
If you are interested in volunteering or to find out more information about supplies needed please email: info@lovecityinc.org or call (502) 272-078.